President rails against isolation, and is criticized by doctors and politicians
Mar.26.2020 2:07PM

SÃO PAULO, RIO DE JANEIRO and BRASÍLIA
Jair Bolsonaro continued to minimize the impact of the novel coronavirus and encouraged Brazilians to cut their quarantine short—advice that goes against health experts and a worldwide trend.

The president intensified his political fight with governors and members of Congress, lost more allies, talked about democratic instability. State governors ignored him and decided to maintain their restrictive measures.

Bolsonaro's speech on Tuesday (24), which attacked the press and defended the resumption of school, was repudiated by those in medicine and politics. General Hamilton Mourão even went against the president and supported isolation.

Not only did the president's position provoke an official meeting with João Doria (PSDB), a potential opponent for 2022, but it also led to the break with former allies, such as Ronaldo Caiado (DEM-GO) and Commander Moisés (PSL-SC).